


Linzin Week 2.0 Prompt : Memories

by Cassandra14



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-17
Updated: 2013-02-17
Packaged: 2017-11-29 15:50:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/688715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cassandra14/pseuds/Cassandra14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There’s a trunk of sketches in the attic. Pema finds them while straightening things up after the Equalists trashed the Temple.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Linzin Week 2.0 Prompt : Memories

 

The Equalists had ransacked the Temple. Pema had no idea what they thought they would find – Temple practices actively discouraged the accumulation of wealth. She believed they had just liked destruction. 

In the direct aftermath of Amon, Pema organized the acolytes and set them to cleaning up the Temple. It took days to restore the dormitories, meditation alcoves, library, and the family quarters to a reasonable state of cleanliness. The odor of paint permeated the whole Temple as they worked to erase the graffiti from the walls. Dirt had gotten everywhere; food waste was molding in corners. Broken tables and bedframes and chairs littered the rooms. 

As for the unused sections, the attics and storage rooms and guest accommodations, Pema simply ordered them closed off. They would be dealt with later, once life returned to some semblance of normalcy. 

Upon the family’s return for the South Pole, Pema recalled those sealed areas and figured it was time to tackle them. She dispatched acolytes to check each room and storage space and report back on any damage. For herself, she saved the small attic above the family wing. It held the personal mementos of Avatar Aang's family. Tenzin had once taken her up to show her his father’s glider, the one used on the Day of Black Sun, and his great-grandmother’s betrothal necklace.

Pema cranked the mechanism which lowered the attic stairs. In his sling on her chest, Rohan gurgled sleepily. She stroked the downy fluff on his head and he settled right back down to napping.

“I’m so glad you are a quiet baby,” she murmured to him. “One Meelo and one Ikki in this family are quite enough.”

She climbed the steep stairs, one hand protectively on his back and one on the railing. 

“Wonderful,” she muttered as her head rose into the space. Coming fully into the attic and stepping off the stairs, she surveyed the mess with a sigh. Still, as she looked closer, it could be worse.

Two trunks had been broken open, their contents strewn across the floor. Books and papers, trinkets and clothing lay scattered hither and thither. Every drawer in a bureau had been yanked out and rifled through, but luckily not dumped on the floor. What appeared to be a china set had been left in shards and dust. 

However, it was nothing an afternoon of dedicated cleaning couldn’t fix, except for the china. She would have to drag Tenzin up here to perform an inventory, but said inventory would go much quicker if everything was neatened up first.

With the help of an acolyte, she brought a broom, dustpan, and garage container into the attic. The acolyte insisted upon helping to sweep the broken china up before bowing to Pema’s wish to handle rest of the task herself. Pema did send Rohan with the acolyte as he was starting to fuss.  Besides, if she was crawling around, she could move easier without him. 

Starting at the stairs, Pema worked her way down the room. Rather than attempting to replace things in the trunks or bureaus, she sorted into piles. Clothing in one pile, toys in another, books in third, and so forth. Tenzin would have to check it all in any case. 

Eventually, she reached the second broken trunk at the far side of the attic. The body of the trunk itself remained intact; the dented lock revealed how it had been opened. Judging by the loose papers and journals on the floor surrounding it, Pema guessed it held family or Temple records. Kneeling, she started stacking the journals and papers, using a small iron statue of a bird as a paperweight. 

A half-rolled parchment caught her eye, marked with a line of an ear and cheek in charcoal. Flattening it, she beheld a grandfatherly man, dressed in modest robes in the Fire Nation style and sporting a topknot and beard. His eyes were kind; smile and laugh wrinkles adorned his features. 

" _Uncle Iroh, Dragon of the West_ ,” read the characters at the bottom. She recognized the handwriting as Tenzin’s. 

Curious, she reached for another paper. Unfolding it, she saw a credible depiction of a Water Tribe trading ship docked at the harbor. Another one revealed a pair of bison, labeled _Appa and Oogi_. A fourth one captured the blossom and petals of a panda lily. 

Setting aside the loose-leaf papers, she reached for a journal and flipped it open to a random page. 

Chief Lin Beifong stared back at her. 

Except it wasn’t the Beifong Pema knew. This Beifong was young, significantly younger then Pema was now, and dressed in armor Pema dimly recognized from her childhood. A braid draped down her back, her lips smirked. No scar marred her face. 

_"Lin in uniform_ ," stated the inscription. 

Hot jealously flashed through Pema. She slammed the journal shut. 

Pema closed her eyes and counted to ten. 

It was past. They had been together. Tenzin had had every right to draw his – his – lover. She had no genuine reason to be upset. 

She counted another ten. And another until her shoulders and facial muscles relaxed. 

As the flare of jealously faded, curiosity regained ground. 

Pema decided to open the trunk lid and see what else lay inside, if there were more journals and sketches than those tossed out by the Equalists. 

The hinges creaking, Pema raised the lid and let it fall with a bang against the wall behind. 

A neat line of journals met her gaze. They varied in size and shape, in color, and in binding material. However, there were another twenty or so which matched the journal she had been looking at, dark leather and standard paper sized, all in a row. Selecting the first one, she lifted the cover. The first page read:

_Tenzin,_

_Stop using my arrest reports as drawing paper. My captain nearly laughed himself sick at the FLOWERS on the last one. I won’t live it down for MONTHS and spirits help me if my mother gets wind of it._

_USE THIS INSTEAD._

_Or I’ll tell your mother who really broke her favorite vase. And how._

_\- Lin_

Despite a small resurgence of jealously, Pema snickered. She also, strangely, wondered exactly how much blackmail material Beifong still possessed on her husband. And if Beifong could be persuaded to share. Tenzin claimed he had been a perfect angel as a child. Judging by a couple sly remarks dropped by Katara, Pema doubted he was telling the whole truth. Apparently, Beifong would be a good source for confirmation of her suspicions 

Feeling more amiable towards Beifong, Pema skimmed through the journal. Beifong appeared frequently, but so did other members of Tenzin’s family. Master Katara waterbending on the beach, Avatar Aang brushing Appa, Bumi at attention in full dress uniform, Kya waving on the prow of a Water Tribe ship, Councilman Sokka drilling with his sword, Chief Toph Beifong punching a boulder – moments preserved in charcoal and pencil. 

She recognized buildings or sections of buildings such as City Hall, Police Headquarters, Central Station, Air Temple, and the Harbormaster’s Tower. A fair proportion detailed the inside of the Council chambers, making her think they had been done when he was bored during meetings. Nature featured in many of the sketches, sometimes the branches of a tree or the buds on a bush. Occasionally, he had used colored pencils, but the vast majority was simple black, grey, and white in charcoal or pencil or ink. 

She replaced the first journal and took up the second. Another note from Beifong resided on the inside cover, and there were plenty of drawings of her within. It was the same with the third and fourth Pema chose, selecting ones at random those times. From the dates on the sketches, it appeared Beifong had always provided a new journal when Tenzin had been finishing the current one.  

Replacing the last journal with its fellows, she regarded the collected mass of her husband’s creative outpourings. She had known he drew, seen doodles on spare bits of paper, but nothing to the extent she saw here. Either he had hidden it very well or he had suppressed it to nothing but those sporadic lapses. 

It bothered her. 

Wanting to see more, she reached for an oversized folio and set in on her lap. She unwrapped the string holding it closed and tipped it slightly. A sheaf of papers slid out, halted by her hand. 

Pema gaped. 

On top, a betrothal necklace filled the sheet – a necklace bearing a winged boar surrounded by three Air spirals. 

She flicked to the next sheet – it was covered with variations on the design. 

Rocking back on her heels, Pema fought down the bile rising to her mouth. She shoved the papers back inside the folio and fairly threw in back into the trunk. 

It took five ten counts to regain a measure of calm. 

She was not going to let this upset her. It was in the past. 

And given that Beifong had recently outright sacrificed herself to try to protect her family…Pema felt harboring resentment towards the woman would probably count as being petty. 

“Mommy?”

Pema turned to find Jinora’s head poking through the floor.

“You’re supposed to be doing history with Acolyte Dignaga.”

“I finished my work early. What are you doing?”

“Cleaning up the last of the mess left by the Equalists.”

“Can I help?” Without waiting for a response, Jinora darted up the last steps and over to kneel by her mother. The allure of the journals still stacked on the floor prompted the avid young bibliophile to snatch one up. 

It fell open to the same page Pema had already seen, the drawing of a younger Lin Beifong. 

“Wow,” murmured Jinora, “It’s Aunt Lin.”

“Yes, it is.”

“And this is Daddy’s handwriting…did he draw this?” Jinora asked. 

“Yes, I think he did.”

“I didn’t know he could draw.” Jinora began paging through the journal, entranced by the images captured by her father’s hand. “These are really good.” 

She scrutinized the stack and then leaned forward to look inside the chest. Her eyes widened. “Did he do all of that?”

“It seems so.”

“Then why I have never seen him draw?” she demanded. 

“I don’t know, Jinora. He…he doesn’t have a lot of time these days,” replied Pema. 

Jinora hmmed. “That’s sad.”

In her mind’s eye, a vision materialized of her husband carefully packing all these journals and artwork into the chest, locking away this part of his life. And then pretending as if it had never existed in the first place. 

_Like his relationship with Beifong?_ The question whispered in her mind.  

As Jinora selected and explored another journal, Pema considered the question. In their entire marriage, Pema could recall Tenzin speaking of Beifong only when it was absolutely necessary to mention her in regards to his work. Even at those times, he had always referred to her by her title. 

Thinking hard, Pema remembered how uncomfortable and sometimes jealous she had been during their courtship at any mention of his former partner. If he had noticed it, he might have decided it would be better to avoid the subject altogether. 

Pema had never asked about that period of his life either. She hadn’t wanted to know. 

In hindsight, perhaps that had been a mistake. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been so willing to let him be silent on the topic. 

Because Lin Beifong had been a key person in his life. According to Katara, when reminiscing about Tenzin’s childhood, the two of them had been near inseparable. Lin had been present for every single minor and major milestone up until his mid-thirties. She had been there when Avatar Aang and Tenzin brought Oogi home to the island. She’d been there when he passed his mastery test and received his tattoos. She had been there when he joined the council. She had been there when Avatar Aang slipped from the world. 

Tenzin rarely spoke about his childhood, youth, or twenties. 

Now, Pema wondered if he didn’t for the simple reason that he couldn’t have avoided speaking about Beifong if he did. 

Whole sections of her husband’s life were blank to her. 

Pema realized that fact bothered her more than any mention of Beifong could. 

What had his silence cost him? What had it cost her?

Meanwhile, Jinora had been shifting through the trunk. She unearthed a pair of tubes, lying diagonally across the bottom. She extracted them. Prying off the tops, she gently tilted each in turn, catching the rolled sheets as they slipped out. 

Further examination revealed one roll was actually two drawings separated by a blank sheet. Carefully, Jinora unrolled each sketch on the floor, using journals to hold down the sides. 

“Look at these, Mom,” she said, pointing to them. 

Pema followed her daughter’s finger to three splendid illustrations, resplendent in vivid colors and tiny detail. 

Two were obviously meant to be paired. In the first, Tenzin had depicted Lin Biefong, clad in her police armor, closely resembling the current style. Her gaze extended beyond the page, seemingly looking at something over the viewer’s right shoulder, body canted to match. The side of her cabling apparatus could be seen on her back with her left elbow protruding. Both hands were planted on her hips, the right one – the one in the forefront – clutched a half-open Kyoshi fan. 

Her plaited hair hung straight down her back, a few strands escaping here and there. On her cheek, the sharp lines recreated her scars. The armor itself had a few dents and even appeared to be missing an elbow covering on the right arm. There were bruises on her right knuckles. 

Yet her expression showed no hint of pain, but rather of determination and strength. Her pale green eyes fairly glinted, slightly narrowed, and her mouth was set in a hard line. 

In the background, the skyline of Republic City stretched across the paper. Air Temple Island and Avatar Aang’s statue were particularly prominent as the view was drawn as if the viewer were arriving at the city by sea. A narrow strip of land, originating from nowhere, provided ground for Beifong’s feet. 

The second illustration also focused on Beifong, but Pema hardly recognized her. Instead of armor, she wore the floor-length dress of an Earth Kingdom lady with an embroidered surcoat, all in shades of green and gold. Bare toes peeked out from beneath the hemline. Seated on a stone bench, Beifong held a zither on her lap, hands poised on the strings. She looked straight at the viewer, scars just visible but secondary to the gentle smile she bore. 

Behind her rose a white cliff covered in trailing vines with small buds just visible. About her a garden grew, half-wild with plants overflowing their beds and paving stones buried underneath the greenery. Peach trees flanked the bench and the garden boasted a plum and a pine tree. On the far left, an opening delved into the cliff face. A badgermole occupied the opening, lying down with its head and front paws on the outside. 

Pema spent the longest on the third, and largest, drawing. She identified the background as the Temple’s courtyard, but she was far more interested in the collection of people depicted. The front row of seats consisted of Councilman Sokka, Master Katara, Avatar Aang, Firelord Zuko, and Firelady Mai. Grouped about them stood their children – Kya, Bumi, Lin Beifong, Honora, Ursa, Lu Ten, and two girls she couldn’t place - with Kyoshi headwoman Suki and Chief Toph Beifong. 

Their attire varied. The Fire members were dressed in formal robes as was the Avatar and Katara. Sokka wore his Councilman garb; Toph wore armor while her daughter wore a casual tunic and pants. Suki displayed her Kyoshi warrior outfit, sans face paint, as did one of the unknown girls, probably her daughter. The remaining unknown girl wore a deep blue dress of either Northern or Kyoshi shade. Bumi showed off his uniform while Kya was entirely in light Southern Water Tribe colors with a fur-trimmed skirt. 

Jinora studied the picture alongside her mother, drinking in the sight of family members she barely remembered or had died before she was born. She thought Grandfather Aang looked as if he was about to laugh while Firelady Mai appeared bored with the proceedings. Chief Toph grinned manically; Uncle Sokka was trying to keep a serious expression but his mouth quirked and an eyebrow kinked comically. 

When she focused on Aunt Lin, a pendant at her throat caught and held Jinora’s attention. She squinted. 

“Mom, is that a betrothal necklace like Gran-Gran’s?”

Pema eyed the ornament suspended in the hollow of Lin Beifong’s throat, exposed by the open V of her shirt.

“I think so.”

“I didn’t know Aunt Lin had been engaged. Who was she engaged to and why isn’t she married then?”

Pema debated how to answer her daughter. The pure truth seemed unwise. She wasn’t sure how Jinora would react and if she could keep the information from her siblings or how they might react.  

“That’s a very personal question, Jinora, and I think the only person who should answer it would be Chief Beifong herself,” she replied. “But Jinora?”

“Yes, Mom?”

“Think carefully before you ask her. She may not want to talk about it. It may be…painful.”

Jinora nodded solemnly. “I understand.” She considered the problem for a minute before saying, “I won’t ask. Or tell anyone. Not if it could hurt her.”

“That would probably be best.” For the first time, Pema found herself grateful for her children’s newfound adoration of the police chief. Jinora would avoid anything that might hurt the chief if at all possible. Pema wasn’t sure she wanted Beifong to confirm that she had been engaged to Tenzin at one point, but suspected the older woman would not wish to lie if asked. 

“But can we…can we ask Dad if we can hang this up somewhere?” asked Jinora. “We don’t have any other pictures like this. It has everyone – Gran-Gran and Granpa Aang and Uncle Sokka and Firelord Zuko and everybody.”

“You’re right; we don’t have anything like this and it’s a very nice picture.” Pema smiled. “I’m sure we can convince your father. I think it would look very nice in the dining room where you could see it every day.”

Jinora grinned broadly at this pronouncement. She declared firmly, “We’ll convince him. But maybe…”

“Yes, Jinora?”

“What if we just did it? What if he walked into the dining room and saw it on the wall?” she suggested with a sly look. 

“We’ll have to get it framed,” Pema said, “so it will be safe from any accidents.”

“We could take into the city.” 

“We could.”

“And we should take the ones of Aunt Lin and get them framed too.” When Pema didn’t immediately agree, Jinora explained, “They would be a suitable thank you gift for protecting us.”

“I suppose.”

“Please, Mom?”

“All right. We’ll take all three.”

“Good,” stated Jinora. She took the journals off the drawings, carefully rolled them up again, and slid them back into their cases. Pema started transferring the journals and papers on the floor into the trunk. Jinora lent her help. They quickly had everything stowed, except the tubes, and the trunk closed although the lock was irreparably damaged. They climbed out of the attic. Pema turned the crank, retracting the stairs into the ceiling. 

“Go put the drawings in a safe place in your room,” Pema instructed Jinora, “Make sure your sister and brother won’t find them.”

“I’ll hide them in my top dresser drawer. Meelo can’t reach it and Ikki won’t think to look.” 

“When you’ve done that, I could use your help with dinner.”

“Yes, mom.” Jinora scampered away towards her bedroom, Pema headed for the nursery to retrieve Rohan before proceeding to the kitchen. 

 

* * *

 

 

Three weeks later, Pema and Jinora made an expedition into the city with the drawings. They located an appropriate shop, selected frames, and handed over the artwork. After five days, they returned to the shop to collect the finished product. 

With the help of an acolyte, Pema had the family portrait hung in the dining room while Tenzin attended to his council duties in the city. She managed to keep the Meelo and Ikki out of the room for the remainder of the afternoon, not wanting them to see it and then tell Tenzin as soon as they greeted him on his return. 

 Jinora found a wooden box for Aunt Lin’s pictures. She then wrapped the box in emerald fabric with a gold bow. Her father had promised to invite the police chief to dinner. With Pema’s blessing on the invitation, her father had been adamant he could talk Aunt Lin into coming. She had already joined the family for dinner on four other occasions, and enjoyed herself, so Tenzin hoped she would be relatively easy to persuade. 

Mako, Bolin, and Asami would be present as well as Jinora had suggested Korra specifically mention that they should come tonight. The trio had standing invitations, but Jinora wanted to ensure they would be there. 

Unfortunately, city business made Tenzin and Lin slightly late for dinner. Or rather, a longwinded Councilman made Tenzin late to pick up Lin which caused them both to be late despite Oogi doing his best to reach his supper as quickly as possible. All of the family and assembled teenagers were already seated at the table when the pair walked through the doors. 

On the other hand, their tardiness offered the perfect opportunity for the rest of them to see their reactions. 

Tenzin started and craned his neck forwards, trying to see it better, despite the drawing hanging across the room. Lin merely raised a brow and took the space next to Asami. 

Walking around the table, Tenzin stared at the framed artwork, a look of puzzlement on his face. 

“What? How did – how did this get here?” he asked, turning to Pema.

“I found it in the attic when I was cleaning up the mess the Equalists left.”

“Oh. And you thought it should be here?”

“It was actually Jinora’s idea, but yes.” She stood and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry we didn’t ask you. I hope you don’t mind; it’s the most complete picture of your family we have.”

“I – well – how did you know –  ”

“That you drew it?” 

He nodded.

“I have my ways,” Pema replied. “There were other sketches, quite a lot of them, and they had your handwriting.”

His eyes widened, mouth dropping open. “Oh…um…you saw those?” He knew what or, more precisely who, his favorite subject had once been. It didn’t bode well. 

She patted his cheek. “Yes. You’re very talented.”

Tenzin blushed and relaxed, realizing she wasn’t upset. 

“Let’s sit down,” Pema suggested and did. Tenzin followed her example, taking the empty cushion to her left which placed him beside Lin. They exchanged a rapid fire glance of apprehension and confusion. 

Jinora cleared her throat. 

When everyone’s attention switched to her, she said, “We have something for you too, Aunt Lin.” 

She pulled the box from underneath the table. 

“Could you pass this to Aunt Lin?” she requested of Bolin who was seated beside her. He took it and handed it to Asami who gave it to Lin. “Consider it a thank you gift for defending us from Amon.”

Lin’s head bowed as she brushed her fingers against the emerald silk. 

“Open it,” whispered Ikki, “I want to see what it is. Jinora kept it a secret.” The last sentence was delivered with a glare at her older sister. 

With a single tug at the free end of the gold ribbon, the wrappings fell away. Lin lifted the latch and raised the lid. 

A slab of dark wood rested inside, hinges along one edge. Lin removed it from the box. She unfolded it and froze. 

Each side of the frame contained a portrait of herself. She didn’t have to ask who they were by. She remembered Tenzin’s style perfectly. 

Snapping her head to look at him, she found him waiting patiently for her to reveal the contents. At the angle at which she held it, he couldn’t see the frame’s insides. 

She offered it to him, meeting his eyes. “I didn’t know you had finished them.”

Bewildered, he accepted the frame and dropped his eyes to it. 

“I – yes – it didn’t – I thought it might not be appropriate to – we weren’t together when I finished them – and I – ” 

“You look like a tomato, Daddy,” sang out Meelo. 

“You really do,” chimed in Korra.

“Let us see!” demanded Ikki. 

He ignored them, turning to Jinora. “This was your idea?”

“Yes.”

To his wife, he asked, “And you approved?”

Pema smirked. Which was disturbing. He was in serious trouble if she was developing a devious streak. 

“I did. Jinora and I had them framed at the same time as the other one.” Her smirk broadened as she addressed Lin. “Would you mind if we passed it around?”

Caught off guard, Lin replied without thinking. “Sure.”

Pema snatched the object in question from Tenzin’s slack grip and gave it to Korra, who was making grabby hands beside her. Tenzin dreaded what comment would spill out of the young Avatar’s mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lin bracing herself, police chief mask falling into place. 

Korra didn’t disappoint. “Wow, Chief, you’re smoking!”

‘Smoking’ mouthed Lin in disbelief. Tenzin cringed. Pema continued to smirk; spirits, he was definitely in trouble. He’d take amusement at his expense over the other options though. 

Korra bent to hold it for Meelo to see. 

“You’re pretty, Hero Lady – can I have some of your hair?”

“Ah – no, Meelo, sorry,” Lin managed to reply, “And thank you, I guess.” A flush crept into her cheeks. About time, Tenzin thought, vowing to get better control over his expressions. Lin was far too good at hiding hers during mutually embarrassing situations like these.  

Receiving the frame from Korra, Mako thankfully refrained from commenting. He kept it for only a few seconds before passing it to Ikki. After a second’s scrutiny, Ikki promptly rattled off questions.

“Did you really have hair that long? What instrument is that? Do you still play? Will you play for us? Can you use a Kyoshi fan? Can you teach us how to use one?” She paused for breath.

Lin jumped in. “Yes, I used to have long hair. The instrument is called a guzheng, I still play, and I might be willing to play for you, sometime. I learned how to fight in the Kyoshi style when I was a girl. If you want to learn, I suggest you discuss it with your parents. Please pass the drawings to Jinora.”

Ikki sighed, obviously having more questions to pose, but obeyed. Jinora passed straight it to Bolin.  

After a moment, Bolin asked, “Is it true your mother learned earthbending directly from the badgermoles?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Wow, that’s way cool. Did you learn from them too?”

“Not to the same extent, but yes.”

“That’s really, really cool,” he said, transferring the frame to Asami. 

To Lin’s surprise, the young heiress seemed a little sad as she looked at the drawings, particularly the left one of Lin in the garden. 

“Asami?” Lin probed. 

“My mother played the guzheng,” she admitted softly. “She played other instruments too, but I can remember this one the best. She used to play in the evenings, after dinner. Father and I would sit and listen for hours.”

“After she died, neither of us could bear even the sound of a guzheng anymore. She had promised to teach me, but I – I couldn’t do it.” Asami gently closed the frame and handed it to Lin. “Now I wish I had. If you ever…if you ever decide to play it for anyone…could I come?”

“Of course,” Lin promised. Asami gave her a smile, rather weak and with moist eyes, but a smile nonetheless. 

“Thanks.”

Lin replaced the frame in its box and laid the box and wrappings aside. 

“I think we’d better starting eating before the food gets cold,” declared Pema. She hefted a basket of biscuits. “Biscuits anyone?” 

Within seconds, the drawings had been regulated to second place as food became the priority. 

 

As the teenagers cleared the table, a task Bolin and Asami had insisted they do, Pema turned to Lin. 

“Whatever happened to Katara’s vase?” she asked. 

Tenzin choked. She ignored him. 

Lin grinned. 

He glowered at her. Surely she wouldn’t dare…

“Tenzin air-sliced it.”

“Lin!” Apparently, she would, the traitor. 

“That’s all?” Pema prodded. She was smirking again. And now so was Lin. He replaced ‘trouble’ with ‘stranded on an active volcano with Azula’ as a description of his predicament at the moment. 

Lin glanced at the kids, ensuring they were involved in their own conversation and in the last bites of their desserts. 

“He was trying to impress a girl – not me – and failed to notice that the window was wide open and that the vase was sitting on the window sill.”

“How did he not notice?”

“He was too busy staring at the girl’s…endowments.” Pema snickered while Lin’s smirk increased. 

 “Are you trying to embarrass me?” he demanded, feeling very put upon. “Besides, it was an ugly vase.”

Lin nodded and said, “In all fairness, it actually was rather ugly. I never understood why your mother liked it so much.”

“It was a wedding gift from – from someone important, I can’t remember who – and she claimed she liked the colors.”

“It was bright purple and green, Tenzin.”

“I know. Don’t ask me to explain it.”

“If she doesn’t know Tenzin broke it, what did you say happened?” Pema asked. 

“I told her I was practicing bending and sneezed with a chunk of rock in the air,” answered Lin. “It ricocheted and went through the window.”

“She believed that?”

“Tenzin used to fly six feet in the air when he sneezed. It wasn’t that implausible,” Lin said with a shrug. “She couldn’t punish me if it was a true accident.”

“Pema,” interrupted Asami, pausing next to her with the dish in her hands, “Where do you want the leftover pie?”

Pema stood and said, “I’ll show you.”

Lin rose as well. 

“I should be going. I need to check with the nightshift at headquarters before heading home. Thank you for dinner, Pema.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied. “Next time, you shouldn’t wait for an invitation. I always make far more then we can eat and you’re always welcome to join us, even if it’s on the spur of the moment.”

“I – thank you, I’ll keep that in mind. Goodnight Pema, Tenzin.” Tucking her gift under an arm, Lin bid goodbye to the children and the teenagers before vanishing out the door. 

After a moment’s consideration, Pema asked, “How is she getting to the mainland? The ferry stopped running a while ago.”

“Lin arranged to have a patrol boat waiting,” Tenzin answered. Nodding at the kids, “I’ll get their baths started if you want to finish up here and reclaim Rohan from the Acolyte Madra.”

“She does love spending time with him,” Pema said. “I think she babysit him all day long if possible.”

“Probably.” He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before rounding up the children and herding them away to bathe. 

 

As they were readying for bed, Tenzin voiced quietly, “Pema?”

“Yes?” She turned from brushing her hair to regard him where he sat on the bed. 

“What you did tonight – those drawings – being friendly to Lin…thank you.” His hands fidgeted in his lap. “It was very thoughtful.”

Pema placed the brush on the bathroom counter and walked over to sit beside him. He rotated to keep facing her. 

“I realized I was being unfair and a bit, well, spiteful and petty. When I found those journals and drawings…” She paused to gather her thoughts. “I admit I was upset and maybe jealous, but the truth is that I shouldn’t be holding your relationship with Lin against you and against her when I have no substantial reason to be offended or to feel slighted. Granted there was that one incident – but she apologized and has done nothing since to warrant my ill will, nor have you.”

“I also realized that trying to pretend she doesn’t exist or that she doesn’t exist outside of being the Chief of Police meant denying her role in your life and thus asking you to deny the memories associated with her. For instance, I have very little idea of what you were like as teenager because you’ve never really spoken of it and I’m guessing that’s because she was such a part of it that you can’t talk about it without including her.”

She took his hands in hers. “That seemed wrong. I know part of it is my doing; I never wanted to hear anything about her. It worked okay while the two of you kept your interactions purely on a professional basis, but now that your friendship seems to be coming back…”

“Pema, neither of us have any desire – ”

“I know. I do.” She squeezed his hands.  “I don’t want you to lose that friendship again because you think it would upset me or to feel you have to hide it. Lin is important to you and I’ve decided to accept, decided to embrace, that fact. She was a part of your family long before you ever met me.”

Pema wished she could capture the grateful and slightly awestruck expression on his face when she finished. She squealed when he abruptly pulled her into his lap. 

Touching their foreheads together, he murmured, “Thank you. For not making me choose.”

To her astonishment, no nagging doubts slithered in about who he would have chosen. Instead, Pema felt a rush of affection for him and a sense of having done exactly the right thing. 

If his kiss was any indication, she was about to reap the rewards. 

 

* * *

 

Approximately a month hence Pema came across a familiar-looking journal lying open on the dining table. Keeping a finger at the open pages, she checked the inside cover. 

_Tenzin,_

_Budget sheets should not be decorated with flowers and birds. Nor should trial transcripts. Stop IMMEDIATELY._

_If you’re unable to focus on the tediousness which is your job – DRAW IN THIS – not on paperwork which I have to see._

_\- Lin_

Tenzin had started drawing on everything in range of his pen so, apparently, Lin had provided him with a new journal. Pema smiled and let the journal fall open to her finger’s position. She started chortling.

It was a sketch of her and Lin taking tea together. 

He had titled it, “ _Trouble._ ”

 


End file.
